Upcycled Clock Parts ➥ Earrings

This weekend was all about digging in at home for some quiet time as we try to exorcise the stress of the last few weeks. I slept in, finished a book I’ve been reading for ages, started a crochet project, and spent the entirety of Saturday afternoon making earrings.

We had a clock we couldn’t fix, see, and instead of just throwing it out we busted it open and dug around for parts. I loved the hands most of all, so grabbed a couple other parts along with them and started fiddling around.

They looked too sparse with only the clock parts, so I started adding chains, and then some not-so-well-conceived spacers between them, and finally a bead. The spacers are just small spirals of wire, and they aren’t perfectly useful because I made them too small and the jump rings attaching some of the clock parts can move over them. Still, they do manage to keep things somewhat spread out on the big rings.

I originally made ear wires for them (see below), but they just didn’t look right, so I switched to a simple post (see above).

These upcycling projects are making me see all sorts of disposable items in a new way. We throw away less, and I love the things I make more. WIN.

Also, have I mentioned recently how much I’m loving making earrings? I mean, these may have taken me a couple of hours to figure out, but I still have such a yarn-focused mindset that I delight in having a finished project in such a small amount of time.

Am wondering about your thoughts as you've finished reading Invented Languages, especially with your interest in communication. I haven't had the opportunity to read that particular book myself, but recently read an article on gender-neutral pronouns (zhe & the like) and my own interest is piqued!

I highly recommend In the Land of Invented Languages. It's an entertaininghistory of some of the major invented languages and the (often insane, oftenegomaniacal) personalities behind them. If your interest is already piqued,I bet this book will either satisfy your interest or get you going readingmore.